After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, Moldova was formally recognised as an independent state by the United Nations in March 1992. A new British ambassador to Russia, Sir Brian Fall, was appointed at that time and he was also accredited to nine former Soviet republics including Moldova. Fall's successor in Moscow, Sir Andrew Wood, was accredited to Moldova until 1999 when Richard Ralph was appointed ambassador for Romania and also to Moldova. When Ralph moved on in 2002 a resident ambassador to Moldova was appointed for the first time.